JonFX salutes Jamaican pioneers with new album

There are not many contemporary dancehall/reggae musicians who can say they played with legends like Glen Adams or stalwarts such as Keeling Beckford and Hyman 'Jah Life' Wright, but JonFX has that distinction.

The musician, producer and artiste shows his admiration for the golden age of Jamaican music with Vintage Collection, a nine-song album released on February 6. He came up with the idea for a retro album after watching last year's Grammy Awards. JonFX was impressed by singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, who won Album of The Year for We Are, despite having no significant major label backing.

JonFX played most of the instruments on Vintage Collection, which is a blend of ska, rocksteady and roots-reggae. It is a salute to Jamaican music pioneers JonFX admires, including Desmond Dekker and Toots And The Maytals, and producers Arthur 'Duke' Reid and Clement Dodd.

The South Florida-based JonFX has made dancehall, pop and gospel charts as a producer. He produced Gyptian's Hold Yuh, Arms Around You by rapper XXXtentacion, and Another Level Remix by Guyanese gospel singer Renwick Duesbury.

Just 39, JonFX started playing music in his parents' church in Jamaica. In his teens, he was a session musician with Everton 'Caveman' Moore, then did the same with Adams (former organist for The Upsetters, Lee 'Scratch' Perry's studio band), Beckford and Wright when he moved to New York City.